‘Games Of Thrones’ Spoilers: HBO Exec Provides Jon Snow Update, George R.R. Martin Offers Hope For ‘Dead’ Character

The sixth season of Game Of Thrones is currently filming, and fans of the show are looking for any clue into the status of their favorite characters.

Of course, most of this chatter has revolved around whether Jon Snow is still alive or not. And while an HBO executive has provided an update for the recently stabbed member of the night’s watch, George R.R. Martin has also given hope for another of the show’s characters that we assumed had died in the last episode of Season 5.

As you might expect, there are potential spoilers ahead. So any Game of Thrones fans out there who don’t want the show to potentially be ruined for them probably shouldn’t read ahead.

OK, let’s start with the Jon Snow story. HBO executive vice president Michael Ellenberg attended a convention in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Thursday night where the topic of whether the much-beloved character was dead or alive reared its head once again.

According to Comic Book, Ellenberg was rather emphatic with his his response.

“[Jon Snow] is absolutely dead,” Ellenberg declared.

Here’s the thing, though; Ellenberg’s comments don’t really provide us with an update on whether Kit Harrington will actually be returning to Game Of Thrones. That’s because Game of Thrones fans are already pretty damn sure that Jon Snow died of the many, many stab wounds that he received in the last episode.

However, there is widespread speculation that the character will still return for Game of Thrones’ sixth season because Melisandre, who in the past has showcased her ability to help people return from the dead, arrived at the wall just before Snow was murdered.

The repeated sightings of Kit Harrington, who has played Jon Snow throughout Game of Thrones’ run, in Belfast, via the Independent, where he shot his scenes, have only increased anticipation that he will return to the show.

Meanwhile, George R.R. Martin, who has written each installment to the books that inspired Game of Thrones, was asked by a fan on Live Journal earlier this week about the status of a certain Stannis Baratheon.

Arthur Merinovich quizzed, “Alright Mr. Martin, let’s cut the crap, is Stannis alive or dead.”

This led Martin to respond, “In my books? Alive, beyond a doubt.”

This is rather big news for readers of the books because in them, Ramsay Bolton informed Jon Snow via a letter that Stannis had died when the Baratheon’s tried to storm the castle.

However, it probably doesn’t mean too much for fans of the television show. That’s because the TV series has altered drastically from the books when it comes to Stannis Baratheon, and even though we didn’t actually see Brienne Of Tarth’s sword pierce his head, we can only assume that she didn’t miss from point blank range.

In fact, the director of the fifth season finale, David Nutter, told EW at Comic-Con that it was always intentional not to show Stannis’ death, and that this isn’t a trick.

“From the beginning, and [through] the script process, that was the intent – he’s dead,” Nutter declared.

[Image via YouTube/HBO]